UBUD BALI- EAT PRAY and LOVE

I fell in love with Bali a long time ago after female trip filled with fun and happiness. In July 2024, I returned to Bali at the recommendation of a friend and decided to remain just in Ubud. I am familiar with Ubud from the film Eat, Pray and Love which is based on the memoir by author Elizabeth Gilberts. It revolves around a journey of self discovery and life balance. Bali somehow encouraged me in healing myself, looking deeper into my soul, discovering interesting things that I should accomplish and finding a more positive balance between my work and meanings in life.

People often think of Bali with the sea, however the island contains mountains and forests as well. Ubud is a town in the center of Bali island, approximately 40 kilometers from Denpasar airport. This time, I flew direct from Ho Chi Minh to Denpasar, and then took a Grab car to Ubud. Ubud is gorgeous because of its natural scenery, which includes rice terraces, deep ravines and ancient temples. It has a reasonably cool temperature, but the nighttime climate is slightly colder.

Eat: Balinese food and cuisine in general are difficult to eat compared to Vietnamese taste. Balinese cuisine is rich in flavor, slightly salty and oily, and contains few vegetables. In Ubud, Bali there are also some dishes that you should try such as Sate Lembat, Balinese curry, Bebek Begil, Nasi Goreng, Bali Guling...During our vacation, we enjoyed delicious food at Simply Social Restaurant and Yellow Flowers Cafe. Meanwhile, Simply Social, a great restaurant and bar located in Ubud's main street, combines unique traditional culture with modernism. We ate twice there and were wowed by two outstanding dishes as Pad Thai and Duck Legs. Yellow Flower Cafe is another attraction that makes my trip to Bali more enjoyable. They are vegetarian buffets and the romantic lighting creates a calm, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. 

In addition, we got a very great breakfast from the homestay with pleasant and lovely service in the two days.

Pray: In Bali, I did not visit temples to pray or ask for wonderful things to come into my life. I just want to slow down and reconnect with the peacefulness in my soul that I had forgotten about due to my chaotic lifestyle. From the moment when I arrives in Ubud, Canang Sari is seen everywhere: in front of shops and residences, on top of monuments, at the base of temples, and sometimes almost right below your feet. These traditional daily offerings and rituals have remained the same for more than 1,000 years. Canang sari are not designed for travel or exhibition. They are fundamental to Balinese culture and Hinduism on the island. They are thought to maintain the balance and peace on earth, amidst the forces of good and evil, among gods and demons, between heaven and hell.

Love: There are various types of love but to be honest, I really enjoy friendship with new people during the vacation. We visited numerous places in Ubud such as walking along Campuhan Ridge, eating delicious food, seeing the show in Pura Dalem (My friend sang the song Chakak Chakak during the night, and others on the street realized that we had just completed seeing the show 😄🎶) and dancing at the CP Lounge. I opened my heart, learned to trust and developed new love for everything around me, with more mature and stronger.

People said that the first time you visit Bali, it is just a vacation; the second time, you love it and the third time, you want to stay there forever. Definitely, I will return for a third time to spend more time feeling calm and relaxed for my soul as well as connecting with kind and helpful people.

Accommodation:

- Gandhiwa House

- Jati Homestay

- Omank Agus Homestay

Notice:

You must pay attention when walking on the pavement. The walkway is very narrow, and it is really dark without lighting in the evening. The route is quite small, with several various of transportation and frequent traffic problems. The street is not designed for two way traffic, therefore crossing or walking through requires courage.